Wilstead-Wixams

COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW

FOR WILSHAMSTEAD PARISH

INCLUDING THE FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS
FOR

THE DEVELOPMENT

KNOWN AS THE WIXAMS

On 22 February 2013, Bedford
Borough Council commenced a review of community governance for the
current Wilshamstead Parish (including the future arrangements for
the development known as the Wixams). Details of the Terms of
Reference for the review including further information about what
is involved with a Community Governance Review were published.

Terms of Reference are available to
view here

Prior to the Community Governance
Review, Wilshamstead Parish Council undertook a survey of
every household in its parish offering the residents of both
Wilstead and Wixams an opportunity to ‘vote’ on the style of parish
arrangements they preferred. The survey results were
that a clear majority of respondents wanted to see separate
parishes for Wilstead and for Wixams.

Between February and May 2013 the
Council consulted with local government electors in the area of the
review and other persons/bodies with an interest in the
review. Submissions on the future community governance
arrangements in the parish were invited and the Borough Council
received 525 representations including submissions from
Wilshamstead Parish Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and
Gallagher Estates.

Representations received for Stage 2 of the Community
Governance Review are available to view
here

Following this period of
consultation, a report was submitted to the Borough Council's
General Purposes Committee on 18 June 2013 to consider the
representations received and the Committee made final
recommendations for community governance for Wilshamstead
Parish.

Link to General Purposes Committee
report (including final recommendations):

On 17 July 2013, the Borough Council’s
Full Council approved the final recommendations and an Order to
implement the adopted outcomes will now be made. Prior
to the outcomes being adopted, the Borough Council received
and considered further representations from Central Bedfordshire
Council.

The adopted outcomes approved on 17 July 2013
for both the existing Parish of Wilshamstead and the proposed new
Parish of Wixams are summarized below. These will be
implemented in 2015.

Existing Parish of
Wilshamstead

·
The existing Parish of Wilshamstead will be altered to exclude the
development known as the Wixams;

·
The boundary of the existing Parish with Eastcotts Parish will
remain unchanged; the existing boundary with Elstow Parish will
remain to the mid point of the A6 road. At this point the
boundary will follow the mid point of the A6 road south to a point
at Latitude 52.08676 and Longitude -0.45824 and then following the
line of the ditch to the existing Borough boundary with Central
Bedfordshire and it will follow that boundary eastward;

·
The Parish will continue to have a council;

·
The name and style of the Parish will remain unchanged;

·
Parish Wards will not be established;

·
The number of councillors to be elected for the Parish Council will
remain unchanged. At this time, the number of councillors to
be elected is 11;

·
Any changes referred to will be implemented on 1 April 2015 with
elections to the council on May 2015 followed by an election every
4th year thereafter.

Constitution of the proposed new
Parish of Wixams

·
To constitute a new parish for the development known as Wixams and
thus, separating out from the existing Parish of Wilshamstead;

·
The boundaries of the new Parish will be comprised of the mid point
of the A6 road, the existing boundary of the Borough of Bedford
with Central Bedfordshire, the Parish of Stewartby and the Parish
of Elstow;

·
The new Parish will have a council;

·
The name and style of the Parish will become the Parish of
Wixams;

·
Parish Wards will not be established at this time;

·
The number of councillors to be elected for the Parish Council will
be 9 initially and then rise to 15 after four years;

·
The new parish will be established on 1 April 2015 with elections
to the council in May 2015 followed by an election every 4th year
thereafter.